Cold Fusion
by Shade Embry
Summary: As Jerome lands on Titan, Lamar gets a second chance. Semi-sequel to Afterburner Fire.


TITLE: Cold Fusion  
  
AUTHOR: Brittany "Thespis" Frederick  
  
E-MAIL: baltimorelt@yahoo.com  
  
CATEGORY: Coda, Vignette  
  
RATING: PG, just to be safe about it  
  
SUMMARY: The day Jerome lands on Titan, Lamar gets a second chance.  
  
SEQUENCE: The sort of sequel to "Afterburner Fire." Meaning it has the same OC (Dana Christiansen, asst. staff medical officer and Lamar's co-worker) and follows that short story. Otherwise, not really connected.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: After hearing "The Morrow" from the soundtrack and more of Michael Nyman's haunting music, I just felt inspired to write more. So here goes nothing…  
  
RECOMMENDED LISTENING: "The Morrow" by Michael Nyman (from the film soundtrack)  
  
  
  
Gattaca was frigid when I arrived [the climate control was out], but other than a few comments most of us didn't bother with the cold. The buzz of the day's news was enough to keep us warm. Today was the day Jerome Morrow, Navigator First Class, after several months, would land on Titan. I was excited at what it meant for Gattaca. I was more excited for my co-worker, who had always been somewhat personally invested in Jerome's success. I headed immediately for the medical section.  
  
Lamar met me in the doorway. He was definitely alive with the energy. His eyes were on fire. "I can't believe it's finally here," he said as I walked into the room. I smiled. "Yeah, it's finally here and we're going to be right here when it happens." He chuckled. "Hopefully not here. Hopefully out there," he said, referring to where Jerome used to stand and watch launches. "Where do you think I meant?" I said.  
  
We talked amicably for a few more minutes. We'd been working together for a few months now – I had transferred in a week after the Titan launch – and we had become close friends (the acting Director was pleased that I'd managed to do my unofficial duty and restore Lamar's spirits) who enjoyed working together. In fact we'd now tried to help out Irene, who also missed Jerome terribly, but it wasn't going too well.  
  
"She'll be there, right?" I said, referring to Irene.  
  
"I can't think of anywhere else she'd rather be," Lamar said quietly. "As much as I can speak for her, of course."  
  
"Right." I met his eyes, feeling his sympathies for Irene. "She'll be there."  
  
He checked his watch. "Only six more hours."  
  
-Four Hours Till Landing-  
  
It was my lunch break and I crossed the main promenade to where I knew the staff strategists were preparing for the Titan landing. The acting Director would be there. I caught him as he turned for the door.  
  
"Can I ask you a favor?" I said, looking hopeful.  
  
"Miss Christiansen," he said, sounding surprised to see me. "You've been doing admirable work with that transfer."  
  
I smiled thinly but didn't let the compliment distract me. This had better work. "Thank you, sir, but now I need something from you."  
  
"What do you need?" he asked, but I doubted he'd expect my answer.  
  
"Jerome will be communicating with us for a few minutes, right?" I asked.  
  
Yes, he definitely didn't expect my answer. "Yes, there's a line between Gattaca and Titan, only for a few minutes."  
  
I nodded, needing specifics. "How long?"  
  
"About two and a half minutes. Why?" Now he appeared confused.  
  
"Well, if I wanted to get a message to him…" I said, fading off leadingly. I didn't want to blatantly say it.  
  
The Director looked at me with a small, strange smile. "You'd do it then."  
  
"I'd do it then." I smiled, then thanked him and turned away. "I'm due back on shift," I said over my shoulder and tried to contain myself as I exited the room and crossed the hall back to medical section.  
  
-Two Hours Till Landing-  
  
We were doing everything we could trying to clear our schedules in medical section so that we would be free to view the Titan landing. Everyone wanted to be in on it, and the place would be at a standstill, but that was no use for sloppy professionalism. Even so, we were all on edge, counting every minute until we could stand in the main promenade where Jerome used to stand, across from where the controllers were talking to him, and look up and let our imaginations and spirits make something of the moment.  
  
We'd even seen Irene pass by, standing for a few seconds at a time right where we'd be in two hours, perhaps thinking about a what if with a sadness that stirred in us emotions we didn't know we had.  
  
With a break in the action, we looked at each other and talked about – what else? – what we were going to have a chance to be involved with this day.  
  
"I'm sure he's brilliant up there," I said with a smile, having never actually known Jerome Morrow.  
  
"If anyone can do it, he can." Lamar paused. "There are people here who won't forget him. Who will carry on what he started."  
  
"Which was?"  
  
"Hope." Lamar reached across the empty space and touched the knuckles of my hand. "But for all of that I never thought any other Valid thought what I thought about Jerome."  
  
"I never knew him," I said. "All I know is what right is, and truth, and love, and those things were found in him, because he brought them out in Irene, and in you. The rest of it's just a guess and gleaned file information."  
  
Lamar smiled. "No one could tell." Then he stood and offered me a hand up, which I took. "I think he'd be proud to know he didn't leave me alone," he said as he turned and walked back toward the counter.  
  
I looked over my shoulder, out across the main promenade to the other side of the building. If he only knew. If it would all be worth it in the end…  
  
-Launch Window Approaching-  
  
"We'll miss it," Lamar called, walking back into the room and grabbing me by the hand and forcibly removing me from medical section to the main promenade. "I'm coming already," I said even as he dragged me to the familiar spot.  
  
Everyone was around the promenade railings but no one else was in that spot, save Irene, who stood there looking both beautiful and sorrowful at the same time. She saw us both and smiled genially but didn't say anything, and we didn't expect her to.  
  
Lamar looked down at his watch. "Two minutes."  
  
The acting Director walked by. We made eye contact but never spoke. So close…  
  
My co-worker put his hand on my shoulder the way I'd done three days after we'd met, and I looked over at him, his intense blue eyes bearing a content, slow-burning fire. We smiled at each other, looking up with Irene toward the glass ceiling, and past the glass, the stars.  
  
"One minute."  
  
The acting Director called to me from the door of the control facility, causing both me and Lamar to look over. "If you want your chance, get ready," he said, and Lamar blinked. "What's he talking about?" he asked. "Nothing important," I said quietly.  
  
"Thirty seconds."  
  
"Let's go," I said and started walking away. Neither Lamar nor Irene were following me. "Are you coming?" I said, halfway to the control room door. Finally, Irene looked at me. "Where are we going?" she said quietly. "Do you trust me?" I said.  
  
They were both silent.  
  
"If you trust me, you'll come with me," I said, then turned and resumed my pace. After a moment I heard both their footsteps on the floor.  
  
I walked into the control facility where Jerome's voice could be heard, giving a status update to the controllers. Both Irene and Jerome were shaken by the sound of it. But I ignored that, waiting until the controller working the comm channel looked at me and told me the microphone was clear. I took a deep breath and introduced myself to Jerome. I told him he didn't know me, but I knew two people that did.  
  
I was looking directly at Irene and Lamar when I called their names and told them to come over while they had the chance. Then they realized it, what I had been hiding. I'd arranged for them to speak to Jerome. Irene started to cry. Lamar was looking at me and beaming. He let Irene take the microphone first.  
  
"Jerome?" she said shakily.  
  
"Irene!" He charged her name with unexpected happiness.  
  
Tears were streaming down her face as he talked to her, and his voice was charged with the same emotions. Lamar, too, had a hard time holding back. But he watched her, only once tearing his eyes away to look at me.  
  
"Thank you for this," he said quietly.  
  
My eyes were still on Irene. "Don't thank me. Thank Jerome for giving me the chance."  
  
He embraced me, and I felt him gently kiss the side of my mouth, sending a charge down my spine. But I pushed him away. "It's not time for that," I said. "It's time for you to get over there and tell Jerome you didn't waste his spirit."  
  
It may have been fifty degrees or less as we all stood in the control facility, but we didn't need artificial temperature. Our hearts were stoked with fire because an In-Valid on a planet far away had brought us all together.  
  
I didn't do any of this. The credit belonged to Jerome Morrow. And somewhere out there on Titan, I think he knew. 


End file.
